Ali Modu Sheriff
Fresh crisis appears to be looming in the Peoples Democratic Party as its acting National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has ignored the directive given to him and the members of the National Working Committee by the party’s National Executive Committee.
The NEC, at its last meeting on March 7, asked Sheriff to set up a committee that would determine the zoning formula to be adopted by the party as it prepares for its national convention slated for May 21 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Other committees, which Sheriff and members of his NWC were asked to set up immediately, included the National Convention Committee, Reconciliation Committee, Zoning Committee and Finance Committee.
However, instead of setting up these committees, investigations by a Punch correspondent showed that the Sheriff-led NWC had begun moves to either prolong the members’ stay in office or predetermine the works of the committees, especially the one on zoning.
The tenure of Sheriff and that of its NWC members was originally billed to end at the end of this month but has been shifted till May 21 by NEC in order to allow the former governor of Borno State organise the national convention, which will herald the arrival of new national officers.
Initially, members of the Board of Trustees of the party and the Forum of Former Ministers, who served under the PDP-led Federal Government from 1999 to 2015, had rejected the ex-governor, saying he did not have the character of someone that could lead the party.
The intervention of the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, doused the tension as Sheriff was asked to leave office in May.
Instead of adhering to the NEC’s directive, it was gathered that Sheriff had begun moves to either remain in office or make sure that the office of the national chairman is zoned to the North-East in order to enable him to retain the seat.
Already, he was said to have started visiting those described as power brokers in the party to sell the idea of the North retaining the office beyond May 21 to them.
Sheriff was said to have visited Mimiko and the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, where he was said to have sold the idea to them.
The NEC, at its last meeting on March 7, asked Sheriff to set up a committee that would determine the zoning formula to be adopted by the party as it prepares for its national convention slated for May 21 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Other committees, which Sheriff and members of his NWC were asked to set up immediately, included the National Convention Committee, Reconciliation Committee, Zoning Committee and Finance Committee.
However, instead of setting up these committees, investigations by a Punch correspondent showed that the Sheriff-led NWC had begun moves to either prolong the members’ stay in office or predetermine the works of the committees, especially the one on zoning.
The tenure of Sheriff and that of its NWC members was originally billed to end at the end of this month but has been shifted till May 21 by NEC in order to allow the former governor of Borno State organise the national convention, which will herald the arrival of new national officers.
Initially, members of the Board of Trustees of the party and the Forum of Former Ministers, who served under the PDP-led Federal Government from 1999 to 2015, had rejected the ex-governor, saying he did not have the character of someone that could lead the party.
The intervention of the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, doused the tension as Sheriff was asked to leave office in May.
Instead of adhering to the NEC’s directive, it was gathered that Sheriff had begun moves to either remain in office or make sure that the office of the national chairman is zoned to the North-East in order to enable him to retain the seat.
Already, he was said to have started visiting those described as power brokers in the party to sell the idea of the North retaining the office beyond May 21 to them.
Sheriff was said to have visited Mimiko and the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, where he was said to have sold the idea to them.
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